The Raven's Descent
by rosalinafanforever
Summary: Set in an AU where the Teen Titans have not formed, Raven is Slade's mercenary-in-training. Beginning with the fulfillment of Brother Blood's contract, Raven launches her career as a ruthless mercenary. Along the way, she finds herself torn between good and evil, meets lifelong foes, unlikely allies, and finds a possibility for her very own volatile romance. T for paranoia.
1. Beginnings of a Mercenary

**So I've had this idea for a while now, and the part about Raven being evil is kinda drawn from the Teen Titans fanfic 'The Mercenary'. It's actually really interesting. Point being, I'm doing this story in between an OC TT story, so it's kinda updated whenever I feel like it. Hopefully it turns out alright.**

**Voila, chapter 1**

**BTW none of these characters belong to me, kay?**

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Ten years today. A pair of dazzling violet orbs sparkled to life. Dark eyelashes fluttered in disorientation. Even after a decade, she still couldn't seem to adjust to getting up every morning at five. No doubt her mentor would be expecting her soon.

Raven forced herself out of bed, ignoring her body's strenuous objections to any action besides sleeping. She checked her calendar.

"Monday morning? Azar, help me."

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Slade paced the room, anticipating his trainee's arrival. Of course, it was the big ten year anniversary of the Azarathian sorceress's reluctant agreement to become his apprentice. Oh, she'd certainly come a long way.

At 5:30 sharp, the doors slid open with a hiss. A dark blue cloak swished over the floor. Pale gray hands clutched a steaming mug of tea.

"Morning, Slade," Raven muttered.

"Ah, it's the big day, little birdy. Your first contract. Right on your sixteenth birthday, if I remember correctly. Do you remember the procedure?"

Raven sighed, "First of all, it's not my sixteenth birthday. That's in a month. And yes, I do remember the procedure. We've gone over it every day for the last ten years, it would be difficult to forget."

"Very good, Raven. You've learned. Now, on to practice."

The cloaked girl slowly slid her hood of, unveiling shining, indigo hair and her signature violet eyes. Paired with her high cheekbones, it was an understatement to call Raven pretty. And not just pretty, but also talented. The blue cloak dropped to the ground, unmasking Raven's dark leather jumpsuit. Raven smirked as she ran her fingers over the familiar titanium threads within the jumpsuit. Picking up her utility belt, she buckled it around her waist.

"Now's the fun part," Raven whispered. She slung a shotgun over her shoulder, holstering her pistol. Finally, she slipped her infamous array of bombs into her belt. With as much pride as she could muster, Raven put on her titanium helmet.

"Done changing, princess?" Slade questioned.

Raven bristled, following Slade into the training area.

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Wiping away a last bead of sweat, Raven muttered, "So, you going to let me in on the details of the job, or am I just going to shoot at whatever bothers me."

Ignoring her quip, the man on the screen calmly continued, "Miss Raven, I am impressed with your...marksmanship abilities, as well as your hand-to-hand combat skills, but...I have also heard tell of your...dark magic. Do explain why you refrain from using them."

Raven exhaled. Narrowing her eyes, she replied, "Too risky. Last time I tried...well…bad things happened. Worse things will happen now that I'm older."

"Do tell."

Forcing down her snappy retort, Raven recounted her backstory, the memory still clear as day.

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Ten years before, it had been a month before Raven's sixth birthday. More importantly, it was Raven's first public test. To show to Azarath that Azar had been right. That Raven wasn't evil. That she could be something more. That she could contain her demonic energy. Raven reached for the familiar power…

"Azarath..metrion...ZINTHOS!" she shrieked. Hopefully, as Azar had planned, Raven would simply cause the magnificent glass ball above the plaza to split cleanly in half. But Raven wasn't known to bring good luck.

The crowd screamed as shards of glass rained from the sky. The number of fatalities was high, in terms of Azarath's relative population. Raven was a disgrace. Only Azar and Arella, her own mother, continued to believe Raven was not just Trigon's half-demon daughter. Not a plague on Azarath. Unfortunately, the opinions of two people would not change the opinions of a whole dimension, no matter how influential the people in question were. When the citizens of Azarath stormed the palace, intent on sacrificing Raven to finally cleanse Azarath of all evils, Azar teleported Raven to a different place. A place called Earth. Terrified, she'd run and run. One day, in a dark alley, she was assaulted by two men. Masked men. Thugs.

As the young Raven struggled against the unbreakable grips of the two thugs, she forced herself to do the one thing she'd sworn never to do again. Use her dark power.

Raven's eyes glowed white, and in a brilliant flash, the two men were completely limbless. Dead. Raven did not know the full implications of what she'd done. Never had she intentionally used her powers against people. What she did know was that she'd done something truly evil. And now, the only place she'd be safe...was with people as dark...as evil...as her. A man in a black-and-orange mask dropped down from a nearby building.

"Hello, my dear."

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"And long story short, with a little sweet talk and comforting, Slade persuaded me to go with him."

The man on the screen finally flicked on a dim light, allowing Raven to see his face. His brown hair was flecked with gray, and he wore a crimson robe. Other than that, he didn't seem to be anything special.

"Call me...Brother Blood."

Raven twirled a knife. "Wow. Real intimidating."

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On the train to the booming urban area of Jump City, Raven turned, her windbreaker rustling. A young man with black hair and bright blue eyes slid into the seat next to hers.

Curiously studying him, Raven felt an odd sense of destiny. _When did I become so cheesy? _she wondered, chastising herself. Still, she believed they would meet again. Perhaps very, very soon.

On the train to the booming urban area of Jump City, Raven reviewed Brother Blood's words. _The target...is Jump City's very own, much loved, Mayor Jones._

Of course, Raven had been skeptical that even she could pull off such a high profile crime, but after a few jabs at her pride, Raven had been more than willing to prove herself. Not only to Blood, but also to Slade. She knew he was despicable, and she knew about all the evil things he'd done, but after all, she owed everything to him; her new home, her skills, her shot at a new life. So yes, she did, however much she hated to admit it, feel a sense of responsibility for the success of the mission. For Slade.

Dick Grayson was busy. 'Busy' meaning hacking from his new penthouse in Jump City. And while utilizing his expert hacking skills, Dick had discovered something worth his time. A plot on Mayor Francine Jones. Orchestrated by a sinister-looking, middle-aged man who went by 'Brother Blood.' A facial recognition scan revealed the robed man was actually 'Sebastian Blood.' Unfortunately, Dick only tapped into the end of the conversation. All he knew was that Brother Blood was involved, and there was an anonymous mercenary doing his dirty work. _There's a start, _Dick thought. _Now...to stopping Blood's mysterious mercenary._

From inside his suitcase, Dick pulled out his slightly rumpled outfit. For his...alternate line of work.

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A newspaper rustled next to Raven. She blinked, suddenly jolted out of her thoughts. Turning in surprise, she noticed that there was a young man next to her. She rolled her eyes. _Wow. Gotta love company. Because I'm definitely a social kinda person. _

The boy lowered his paper just a little bit, allowing Raven to catch a glimpse of slicked, glossy black hair. And...wow. Distracting, dazzling, brilliant, icy blue eyes. Raven growled. _Focus….on….the job. You have a job to do._

Forcefully turning to her left, Raven allowed her mind to drift to the cityscape beside the train. Still, the memory of the eyes haunted her. In a strange, corny way, she felt like it wasn't the last time they would meet, but rather, the first of many times. _Wow, when did I become so cheesy? Mercenaries. Are. Not. Cheesy. Besides, I'm probably just being dumb. I mean, why would I see a random guy again in a big city like Jump? Oh, but this job. I can tell it's going to get veeery interesting._

Quietly, she patted her hidden weapons. She sighed. Mentally, she complained, _Travelling lightly never cut so deep. I'm going to need to improvise a bit with my...limited inventory._

Dick Grayson quietly rolled up his newspaper. He smiled a little, noticing the girl on his left staring out the window. He'd noticed her staring earlier. Then again, it wasn't easy laying low when the whole world knew you were Bruce Wayne's ward. The smile faded. It wasn't easy leaving, but now was his chance to finally make his own it wasn't only Dick stepping out from Bruce. It was Robin stepping out from the shadow of the Bat.

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**I know. I know. CHEESY LEVEL 10,000,000,000 achieved. But seriously, I hope it turned out okay. I didn't REALLY think it through, so if you have suggestions feel free to leave them in the reviews. It's an AU, but I still might introduce the other Teen Titans later on into the story. Just...not as they meet in "Go!" So, it's kind of a preview chapter, and the real action is still pending. I also have no experience whatsoever in writing about actual weapons besides Robin's little arsenal. Sooo...yeah. Thanks for reading, feel free to fav, follow, review, and all that.**

**BYEEEEEEE, meh little waffles!**

**It's CHEESETASTIC! (name the quote)**


	2. The Violet Assassin

**Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed my first chapter, glad you liked it :)**

**I don't consistently update quickly, this is just a rare case where I want to update before school starts (a day), so...yeah. Hopefully this chapter's also relatively well recieved.**

**And…I'm sorry to disappoint you but no, I do not own Teen Titans.**

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Pursing her lips, Raven turned from side to side, surveying her work. _Even if it wasn't my handiwork, I think I would still say...that lipstick is on point. Have to stay classy, right? _Retreating into an empty bathroom stall, she pulled off her civilian clothes, replacing them with her jumpsuit. Rolling her shoulders, Raven smirked, satisfied, at the comfortable, familiar feeling of the leather.

"Can't let the metal detectors catch me, right? I haven't even become a world-famous mercenary like I'm destined to be. Yet. But soon...oh everyone will know the violet assassin. Raven. Deadly. And. Dangerous," Raven mused, simultaneously activating the stealth mode on her helmet. Finally, she took out her strapless, sapphire blue gown. Hemmed with diamonds, the dress flowed to her feet like a sparkling waterfall. Had she not been so focused on the real reason she was at the event, Raven might have stopped to admire the view in the mirror. Sighing, she stepped into the ballroom. Raven edged towards the banquet hall. Too bad she was only at the mayor's high-end charity party for work. After all, that filet mignon was practically making her mouth water.

Raven checked the time. _Still ten minutes to go? I suppose I need to pass the time, _thought the demoness, eyeing the gardens behind the events center. A statue of a bird caught her eye, so Raven decided to take a little leisure walk. Unfortunately, Raven barely made it past the sprawling rosebush before smacking face-first into someone's arm. _Smells good, _was her first thought.

"Do you mind?" Raven managed, rubbing her nose. Remembering Slade's lesson on courtesy, she forced a charmed smile. "I mean, pardon me, sir, I didn't see you there."

The man turned. "Apology accepted. And honestly, it was all my fault."

Raven, meanwhile, had suddenly assumed a dazed expression. _It's...it's...him. _

After a few seconds of confusion, Dick finally realized why the girl seemed familiar. "Ah, Train Girl. Nice seeing you again. By the way**, **I'm Richard Grayson. Call me Dick."

Regaining her composure, Raven began toying with her curls. "Alright then...Dick. The name's Rav...Rachel. Rachel Roth."

"Rachel, huh? Cute. I think it suits you. Care for a private tour of the gardens?" Dick asked, offering Rachel his hand.

_Guess I do have a few minutes to spare, _Raven decided. _And besides, I can get this guy. _"It would be a pleasure," she purred.

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Stopping for a rest at the bird statue, Raven finally got her chance for a closer look at the bird. A raven.

"They're beautiful creatures, aren't they?" Dick asked, brushing her hand as he slid up next to her.

"Eerily beautiful," Raven murmured, tilting her head slightly. The pale beams of moonlight highlighted her stunning facial profile and exotic purple eyes. A stray curl came loose, brushing across Raven's face. Absentmindedly, she tried to tuck it back behind her ear. The stubborn indigo strand refused to stay.

Dick gently replaced the strand of hair. "I got it. Think we should head back now? Don't want to miss the speech."

"Um...yes. I'm really looking forward to the speech." Raven couldn't help her tinges of guilt. _Too bad...too bad the speech isn't going to happen. _Her eyes hardened. _The pay, Raven. The pay. Still guilty?_

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"Thank you all for attending, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you're enjoying your stay in Jump City," the cheery mayor began, his face crinkling with his good-natured, famous beam.

"First, thank you all for supporting Jump City. Each and every one of you…"

Raven drowned out the words, quietly slinking away from the crowd. Silently standing up behind the man, she clapped her gloved hand over his mouth, muffling his scream. Injecting the sedative, she let him drop limply to the ground. Her fingers flying over the controls, Raven quickly deciphered which switches controlled what. Finally, she found what she was looking for. Raven grinned, unzipping her dress. She patted her bag.

"No time to get my purse later," she commented to herself, folding her dress into the bag.

With practiced ease, Raven flicked the switch. On. Off. The lights flickered, inciting mass panic. In between flashes of light, Raven caught a glimpse of the mayor's bodyguards clustering around him. _Too bad they don't stand a chance._

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Dick forced his way out of the screaming city officials and foreign dignitaries. He stepped out of the events center. Moments later, he was back. But not quite as Dick. After herding out the first group of civilians, Robin flipped onto the rafters of the events center. Brightness. Completely dark. Light. Dark. Light. Dark. So it went. Squinting, Robin caught a glimpse of a person sitting at the controls. A girl.

Grimly, he whispered, "I think I remember that the tech guy was...a guy. So why is a girl doing a man's job, so to speak? She's the merc."

With his sleuthing complete, Robin whipped out his bo staff, preparing to jump down when the lights turned on. And then, in the darkness, he could bring down the assassin. To his surprise, when the lights turned off, this time, no sudden brightness followed. Growling, Robin leaped to the ground, landing in a crouch. Dashing to the control booth, he swung...and hit air.

"AARGHHH!" he yelled, smacking nothing but air. Suddenly...a rewarding hit. A person, standing on what felt like the edge of the booth, had seemingly been knocked down. At least a fifteen foot drop. He waited for a thud. Ten seconds...twenty...nothing. The assassin had landed on her feet. Masked eyes narrowing, Robin backflipped out of the booth, soundlessly landing on the ground. Ahead of him, possibly on the stage, sounds of a scuffle echoed through the air. Robin slipped on night vision goggles. Sure enough, the mercenary had just taken out eight of the burly men.

"Time to step in," Robin hissed, firing his grappling hook at the ceiling.

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Raven launched into the air. Kicking off a wall, she shot down at an angle, her heel connecting with another goon's forehead. Out cold. A group of five men surrounded her. Sighing, Raven dropped to the ground. Sweeping her foot around, she knocked them all to their feet. Three were knocked out. Raven tapped her chin, thinking.

"Why not?" she grinned, firing at each man's forehead. One. Two. Three.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed the two men charging toward her from two sides. Waiting patiently, Raven finally ducked out of the way. Needless to say, the collision was incredibly satisfactory. The mercenary fired a net at the two men, trapping them. Firing a dart at the skylight on the ceiling, Raven cackled as the large chunks of glass rained down on the two unfortunate bodyguards. She danced through the glass with the grace of a professional ballerina. A line of policemen appeared from within a hallway.

"Hands up!" they ordered.

The helmeted girl shrugged. She put her hands up, one of them clutching a tiny silver object. "Fine."

In a sudden, unexpected movement, she tossed the grenade at the entrance to the hallway, creating a barricade of high-density polyurethane foam. "Sorry, I still have prior arrangements."

Drawing her two katanas, she and a bodyguard charged towards each other. At the last second, Raven backflipped, slicing the man while upside down.

"That's all for today, folks," she beamed, firing a bola at the fleeing mayor. Mayor Jones stood no chance. In an instant, he was on the ground. Emergency power turned on. In the dim, red light, the man had no choice but to stare blankly at the helmeted girl strutting towards him, gun cocked.

"Someone. Help," croaked the mayor.

Robin swung off the rope, landing a solid, airborne kick on Raven's arm. She dropped the gun, snarling in surprise.

"I guess I missed one. Better tidy up."

"I don't think so. Playtime's over, princess," Robin grunted, now engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the assassin. She was talented, no doubt, but there was no beating the training of the Bat.

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The living traffic light pressed her back. Closer...closer...to the wall. Suddenly, she sensed movement behind her. Perfect. Ducking under her attacker's bo staff, Raven turned, allowing herself to be pinned to the wall by the bodyguard. All. As. Planned. Raven suddenly wrenched her hands into a more comfortable position. Backflipping off the wall, she smashed the bodyguard's face into the wall.

Robin swiped his bo-staff at the mercenary...but hit something a lot bigger.

Raven dropped the unconscious guard. "Meat shield. Catch me if you can!" she called, racing toward the mayor.

With the tiniest of movements, she shot a miniscule dart of extremely potent jellyfish venom at the mayor's neck. Right on target. Bluffing, Raven pulled out her handgun, pointing it at the mayor.

"I'll do it," she threatened. "Unless you stand down. I have an appointment involving Jones here."

Robin scowled, a bird-a-rang flying through the air. Curving, it knocked the handgun away from Raven.

"Sorry, miss, but I can't let you do that. You're going to a nice place called jail."

Raven wagged her finger. "Don't think so."

Tossing a smoke grenade, Raven vanished into the whiteness, along with the mayor. Quickly and efficiently, Raven zipped him into a body bag. Tapping a small device on her bracelet, Raven grinned as her stealthed ride pulled up just outside the back doors of the events center. Cackling, she snatched up her purse, carrying it while dragging the body bag. Tossing the mayor into the cargo hold of her jet, Raven leapt, landing, with a flip, in the cockpit.

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Panting, Robin burst through the doors of the events center, just in time to catch a glimpse of the air shimmering suspiciously.

"Stealthed aircraft. No doubt belonging to Miss Mercenary."

Gauging the distance from his position to the jet, Robin realized it was too late to retrieve the mayor. Too late to save him. But he could still bring the assassin to justice. The assassin in the titanium, beaked helmet. The assassin who would no doubt return to do more dirty work for her employer. The assassin who needed to be stopped. Fast.

Robin narrowed his eyes, firing a small black device at the hovering jet. Latching on to the plane, Robin's tracker flashed bright blue, signaling it had been activated.

"At least now I'll know her address."

Cracking his spine, Robin groaned, "I have to hand it to her, though. That girl's legs are lethal. I'm not feeling the aster right now."

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"One hour. Not bad for your first job," Brother Blood whispered, pacing around the mayor's limp corpse. He tilted his head, further inspecting the paralyzed pain on the man's face. _Less for me to clean up in my actual plans._

Raven didn't respond, instead extending her open palm.

"Of course, my dear. It's been wired to your account."

Raven frowned suspiciously. Tapping her holographic wrist computer, she nodded, satisfied. Sure enough, her payment was there. Enough to add at least a couple new toys to her inventory.

"Been a pleasure, sir," she called, strutting out of Brother Blood's underground complex.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll do business again. After all, there's so much more trash to clean out of this city."

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**K, well that's that. I tried. I'm so (not) excited to go back to school tomorrow. As always, leave your suggestions in the reviews. Follow, fav, review, and all that, kay thanks. bye :)**


	3. Two Birds and a Carnival

**Honestly I'm SOOOO excited to write this. Like YASSSS badass Raven is back! So yes, I'm hoping to build something out of this, but I haven't decided yet. So I'll just go with the flow.**

**Here goes nothing.**

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Raven almost laughed. Almost. "Didn't think you were the jokester, Blood."

On the screen, Brother Blood bristled. "That's Brother Blood to you, and I might remind you that if you don't accept this job, I'm perfectly alright with hiring another mercenary."

Violet eyes narrowed, and Raven absentmindedly pointed at the screen, gun in hand. "Tell me more about this 'carnival job.' "

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Brushing off her baggy, dark blue sweatshirt, Raven slipped it over her head, pairing the outfit with her favorite gray sweatpants.

"Jogging outside today? Not recommended for a wanted criminal." Slade commented.

"Fuck off."

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Garfield Logan practically vomited in disgust as he plastered on another fake smile. Worst. Job. Ever. The only reason he worked was to save up for his moped. Originally, he'd planned for a car. But, well, for a lower middle-class boy living with a foster family, there weren't a lot of choices. You either took it or you didn't. Besides, the-

A voice sliced through his thoughts.

"Um...hello?" a monotone voice called. Garfield blinked. In front of him was the single most gorgeous girl he'd ever seen. At least, he hoped she was single. Almost laughing at his own corny joke, Beast Boy recited his speech.

"Step right up. Five dollars for ten darts. Pop five balloons and you win a goldfish. Pop ten and you win a giant stuffed chicken."

"Listen here-"

Raven stopped mid-sentence, surprised.

"You're...you're green?"

"Hey, lady, you want to play or you don't."

Raven scowled. "Hey broccoli-boy, I'm…" _Charm._

Reversing her scowl, Raven purred,"Sorry, cutie. Just had a hard day. I guess it couldn't hurt to treat myself to a little…prize."

Garfield practically dropped to the ground, unconscious. "Uh...yeah. Here's ten darts."

_Wow. Forgot to collect my money. I guess a little target practice could do me some good._

Raven slipped the cash back into her pocket, reaching for the darts. Barely after Garfield moved out of her way, she nailed ten balloons with frightening precision. Garfield gulped as he pulled a dart out of the wall. It was firmly embedded in the concrete.

"Strong arm, huh?"

"Eh, I work out." Raven smiled, purple eyes twinkling in amusement. Underneath, she hid her annoyance with the carnival idiot.

Draping herself over the counter, she traced the unfortunate boy's jawline. "So…"

"Garfield. But….you can call me Gar."

"Gar, would you happen to know where the...um...Roly-Poly Princess ride is?"

The green-skinned boy took in the dark color scheme of Raven's outfit.

"Sorry if it's offensive, but you don't really look like a roly-poly princess. And it's over there."

"Point taken. And thanks," Raven winked.

_Shit, she forgot her chicken! _"Hey, pretty lady or whoever you are, THINK FAST!" Beast Boy hurled the plush chicken at the retreating back of the indigo-haired beauty. A pale, white hand shot out from her sweatshirt pockets, grabbing the chicken out of the air without batting an eyelash.

"That fast enough for you? Hey Garfield, think fast!"

Raven threw the chicken into the air, then jumped up, kicking it straight at Garfield.

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Ten minutes later, Garfield picked himself up off the ground, groaning. "Today I learned that stuffed chickens flying at you at 60 miles per hour really hurt. A lot."

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Raven walked past the line for the Roly-Poly Princess. Examining the endless rows of eager little girls, she snorted, "Little prissies."

Instead, she slipped into a bathroom, locking the stall door behind her. She took out her phone. "It's going to be a really long three hours. Listening to people pee."

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As the gate swung shut behind him, a blonde carnival worker called, "Are you sure you got it, Mrs. Enurtof?"

In a thick Bohemian accent, the busty woman replied, "Yes, thank you, Roger! You go home now, bye-bye!"

Mrs. Enurtof pulled the real Bohemian woman behind a table, draping the long silk tablecloth over her. Slipping off her holo-ring, Mrs. Enurtof regained her real form. Raven was not Rachel Roth anymore. She felt more alive in her Raven getup. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, she ran her hands along the fabric of the tent. Her scanner found its mark.

"Pocket dimension," she smirked. "Neat."

Using the high-tech gadget cleverly devised by Wayne Enterprises, Raven extracted the object. A rotating, glittering blue gem. "The Endonomicon Stone," she breathed. "It's real."

Stealing a skeptical glance at the knocked out fortune-teller, Raven looked around the room. "Just as I thought. A faux. Not a fortune-teller. Not magic. A fighter."

Pulling off each of the identical golden rings on the fat fingers of the woman, Raven finally found what she'd been looking for. The woman's appearance fizzled, returning to that of a younger, black-haired woman. Italian, by the looks of it. She wore a black leotard with a stomach window, a dark cape with a cross running down the middle, and tall leather boots, accompanied by fingerless black gloves. Pinkish-purple stripes were emblazoned on parts of her outfit, and she was outfitted with an impressive array of weapons. Raven reached into the woman's utility belt, pulling out a crossbow. She fired a bolt at the wall.

"Neat."

Attaching a small tag to the bolt, Raven scrawled, "Love from Raven."

Examining the woman's outfit, Raven found an I.D. card. "Huntress. Justice League. Ooooh. One of those snobs! Maybe it'll knock her down a couple notches to know that I took her out without her even realizing it. Well, got to fly!"

Raven whirled to leave, only to find herself facing an unexpected visitor. None other than the Boy Wonder.

"Hey, Boy-Blunder. Long time no see."

"...Raven. Hand over what you took," Robin demanded, on the hunch that Raven had stolen something.

"What? I didn't."

Raven edged closer to the back of the tent, pushing aside tables piled high with crystal balls.

"Take."

She slowly drew a sharp dagger.

"Anything."

With a violent movement, Raven slashed it through the tent, leaping out of the gaping hole in the side of the tent. Robin swore, jumping after the villain, drawing his bo-staff in mid-air. He swung at the jumpsuit-clad villainess. _At least this time I'll see her face. _

Raven whirled around, catching the blow on her very own, metallic blue staff. She pressed a button, and a long hook popped out of one end of the staff.

"Always did love fishing," she grinned, pulling the staff out of Robin's hands. It landed with a splash in the nearby ocean.

Robin growled, noticing how Raven was, once again, sporting her helmet. It had a few modifications this time. Sharp, piercing wings protruded from either side, so it was not unlike Hawkgirl's mask, but Raven's mask still covered her whole face.

Raven hurtled towards the vacated dart-throwing booth, and rolling under the counter, she snatched up a giant chicken. "Here, bird-boy, found you a girlfriend!"

The masked hero grunted as the flying stuff toy collided with him. Scowling, he pushed the chicken off his chest, firing his grappling hook in the direction of the villainess. With a remarkable triple flip, he landed on the back of her sleek, silver motorcycle. Raven cursed, setting the bike on auto-pilot.

"Come back to play?" Raven jeered, launching a spinning kick at Robin.

Robin dodged, grabbing her foot, but Raven's other leg connected with Robin's face. Punch. Punch. Dodge. From Raven's gloves, titanium claws shot out, sinking into Robin's stomach. With difficulty, the Boy Wonder pulled himself off the claws, eyeing something on Raven's jumpsuit.

"Sorry, but I have to go now," Robin grinned, the expression quickly distorted into a grimace by the pain still coursing through his gut, and he snatched the glinting blue stone from Raven's utility belt. Before Raven could react, he backflipped off her motorcycle, landing on his own, and screeching around a sharp turn, the R-Cycle disappeared into the night, the Endonomicon Stone in tow.

Raven fired a gun at the back of the R-Cycle. The only thing that impacted was a small tracker.

"At least I'll know where he lives."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"I still know where Rae-Rae lives," Robin smirked, still exhilarated from his most recent victory. Glancing at the blue gem, he thought, _Better get it back to the Justice League. Wonder why they keep it so safe anyways. I guess the same reason Raven's after it. But why-?_

Robin flicked on a lamp. _Brainstorm time._

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"You failed." Slade announced, as soon as Raven stomped through the heavy titanium doors to the stealthed complex.

"Not completely." Raven muttered.

Blood would be furious. But Raven didn't care at this point. Surely there'd be better clients with more reasonable requests. She just needed a little patience and a little good luck. Hopefully she could follow the bird-brain to his secret base, steal back the gem, and slit the Boy Wonder's throat. Sounded like a plan.

She checked her tracking device. Strangely enough, the little dot representing Robin was moving at a high rate. Towards her location. Her violet eyes widened. She dashed to the hangar. Sure enough, on the bottom of the jet was a small black device. Very similar to the one she'd sent Robin earlier. But this one flashed blue. And as she watched in horror, the flashes grew more and more urgent. Raven flicked on the intercom.

"Slade, we've got a situation."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**K, cliffhanger. Anyways, that was a lot of fun to write, hope it was fun to read. I've been really busy, but I'm glad some of you are reading my story. I am SOOOOO excited to write about Robin vs. Slade+Raven. And yes, that was JLU Huntress I was talking about. Follow, fav, review, all dat. Peace.**


	4. The Raven Takes Flight

**Back again. There's a huge storm right now, so there go my other plans :(**

**Therefore, I decree it's time for another chapter of The Raven's Descent. So this is going to be a major turning point, as Robin infiltrates Slade's secret base.**

**K, so…**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Fucking wolves," Raven grumbled, setting her head on the grass. _How did it ever come to this? Oh wait, I know._

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**FIVE HOURS AGO**

Brother Blood scowled. The girl had failed. It was only to be expected. No matter. He'd simply hire another mercenary for the job. The Endonomicon was crucial if things were to go as planned, and he needed to retrieve it before Robin delivered the blasted jewel to the League. If it returned to the big players, there would be no getting it back.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Robin's eyes were narrowed in determination behind his domino mask. He'd catch that Raven for sure. After all, there was no way she'd see him coming.

He barked, "Stealth mode, activate!"

Instantly, the R-Cycle seemed to disappear, fading into the air. Robin sped along the dirt road, listening in tense anticipation as the tracking device beeped faster and faster. Suddenly, the rhythm climaxed, the beeps sounding in a crazed frenzy. Robin skidded to a stop in front of an abandoned research center. Supposedly, the scientists had been developing a serum to enhance and alter DNA. Unfortunately for them, the test subjects had been rats. And once the serum had been injected, the rats developed into horrifying monsters, viciously hunting down every last scientist. Because the serum was still in its early testing stages, the side effects were undiscovered. Within hours, the rats' nervous systems had been completely fried. Their body cells soon began to break down.

Long story short, the place was shrouded in a cloud of bad luck. For Raven to have her hideout at the abandoned laboratory was...disturbing, to say the least. After all, the place had, essentially, been the site of a massacre.

Robin dismounted the R-Cycle, cautiously entering the complex, his bo-staff drawn. Dusty microscopes stood, long forgotten, on the cobwebbed tables. A fine layer of gravel and sand blanketed the concrete, but did nothing to mask the terrible bloodstains. Dick Grayson shuddered. Robin kept moving, hiding the sickness now attempting to engulf him. He poked around the lab for a solid five minutes with little success.

"I should have found it by now!" he growled. There. Jackpot. Robin tore off a poster of the periodic table. Behind it was a set of heavy titanium doors. Robin reached into his utility belt.

"Never underestimate Bat-tech," he smirked, watching as the doors slid open smoothly.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Several stories underground, Slade's mouth twitched upward. "Never underestimate Slade Wilson."

Leaning over a control panel, he activated his defense systems.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven panted, practically flying through Slade's underground hideout. She found him in the control room.

"Unexpect-," she wheezed. "t-ted guest...bird...boy."

Slade raised an eyebrow. "Now how would you have figured that out? This wouldn't have to do with your mistakes…"

He leaned in.

"...would it?"

Raven couldn't meet her mentor's disturbingly menacing eyes. "I...there was a tracking device on the plane. I couldn't have known it was there! Besides, I-"

"Save it, Raven! I don't need your excuses," Slade whispered. He was calm. Too calm. Like the calm before a storm.

Raven's eyes filled with terror, suddenly registering the fact that Slade's hand was, at that moment, traveling straight for her face. For the first time in all of Raven's years with Slade, he'd slapped her. Raven touched her cheek.

Her violet eyes became pools of emotion. First came the anger. It passed quickly, replaced by fear. Like a terrified dog cowering from its master. Last...the hurt.

Raven let her inner hurt show through. All the hurt she'd built up over the years, suddenly set off by one. Simple. Action. Unable to control it any longer, the hurt was released as black energy. Raven's dark energy. After all, with her pent up emotions came pent up power.

The energy traveled through glass, concrete, and titanium with little regard for any of them.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Robin fired a grappling hook at the top of the hidden elevator shaft. That is, the elevator shaft without an elevator. Strange, that Raven would need such a large complex. That is, unless she was working with someone. Robin swung into a corridor of bright, sterilized white light. The titanium walls surrounding him gleamed with the artificial brilliance of thousands of lights. As he sprinted down the hallway, however, the light grew dimmer. And dimmer. And still dimmer.

The Boy Wonder blinked. He slipped on his night vision goggles. Suddenly, something slammed into him, blasting him into a world of hurt.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Slade's eyes barely had time to widen before the black energy struck him at point-blank distance. _I should have known._

Raven collapsed. She crept over to Slade, pale gray fingers trembling. A heartbeat. Good. The suit must have protected him from part of her magic. A small spark of mercy.

"So much for mastering control of my powers," Raven groaned, glancing at her hands.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Robin groaned. Only the Batman's expert field training kept him conscious. He slapped an adrenaline patch on a small patch of exposed skin. Viciously, he shook himself to wakefulness. Just in time to see...some kind of dark energy shattering every single one of the lights. And windows. He blinked in astonishment, watching as it barreled through the walls.

"Wow," was all he could muster.

"Now where could that be from? A better question...who?"

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The dark sorceress exhaled in frustration. All those years of training. All for nothing. She thought, _Might as well make the most of it._

Raven transformed into her soul-self, enveloping Slade. She flitted out through the walls. But not without being seen.

Robin fired his grappling hook in the direction of the creature.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**1:53 A.M., Jump City National Park**

Shadows coalesced, forming the silhouette of a girl in a dark blue cloak. Raven glanced, through her helmet, at Slade. Still out cold. She set him down on the pine needles. The two were alone in an evergreen forest. Almost alone.

A pack of wolves prowled out of the trees. Before a single one of the snarling beasts could let loose half a howl, Raven's whirling flurry of knives decimated the whole ring of wolves.

"Fucking wolves," she grumbled, setting her head down on the grass. Her eyes closed.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

A shadow flashed between the boughs of a tree. Robin had seen the whole thing. The shadow-bird turning into Raven. And now, without a doubt, he knew it was Raven he'd been hunting.

After all, the only other person he'd ever known to throw knives with such a degree of accuracy was the Batman. And he was definitely not female. At least, Robin hoped not. _Wow, I wonder if he…_

Robin shook off the pointless thoughts. He leaped onto a tree branch, scaling the rest of the massive green giant with ease. On the top branch, he counted down in his head.

_Three...two...one._

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven's eyes fluttered to life, just in time to see a dark shadow descending upon her. She'd sensed Robin rather than heard him, but all the same, she rolled to the side to dodge him. Robin glanced around the clearing, his eyes falling on the orange-and-black masked man.

"Who is that?" he demanded.

Raven's answer was a silenced gunshot. She didn't want to wake Slade up.

Robin dropped to the ground, rolling behind a tree. He breathed.

"I'm not blind!" Raven hissed, a wickedly curved dagger in each hand. She swung at Robin. He smirked, unleashing his bird-a-rangs. Raven stumbled back in surprise.

She snarled viciously, slashing at Robin. The two engaged in an epic battle. _Man, Slade must be REALLY out of it, _Raven thought. _It's strange. The Slade I know would be awake by now, kicking ass._

Robin backflipped, and launching himself off a tree, he shot down towards Raven at an angle, heel pointed straight at her. Raven waited. Right before the boot made impact, she ducked to the side, jamming her fingers into the airborne Robin's stomach. He dropped like a sack of stones, groaning and clutching his abdomen.

"I guess a robin is no match for a raven."

"Don't be so sure," Robin retorted. Holding himself up by two hands, he kicked Raven, knocking her back. On his feet again, he drew his bo-staff.

Grinning, Robin taunted Raven. _Come at me._

Raven charged the Boy Wonder, two double-barreled pistols drawn, firing wildly at him, now with no regard for quietness. Robin nimbly dodged the bullets, dropping to a crouch. Right before Raven barreled right into him, Robin did something very, very, un-gentlemanly.

"UTERUS PUNCH!" he shouted.

A horrified grimace distorted Raven's face. She responded by stabbing Robin's armpits.

Robin groaned, "Now that is not only unbecoming, but for me, that is REALLY embarrassing!"

Both stumbling, the opponents approached each other, circling warily. Robin managed a whack at Raven's face, following it up by a spinning kick. Her nose began to gush blood.

Raven wiped her nose, throwing herself into an elaborate series of cartwheels and backflips, increasing the rapidity of each action as the sequence progressed. She faded into the night. Robin whirled from side to side, ignoring the crimson trail staining his uniform.

"Over here, bird-brains!" Raven shouted, dropping from the sky. She landed with both feet on Robin's head, knocking him out. She promptly fainted, blood loss overcoming her.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Both birds stirred, still groggy. Raven was lying on the ground, her face bandaged. She ripped the cloth off. Sure enough, her demon blood had already worked its magic. Literally.

Apparently Slade did have his forgetful moments. Still, how hard was it to remember that the little girl you'd corrupted was actually the dark daughter of an interdimensional demon and his ticket onto Earth.

She glanced around, catching sight of Robin, who was tied to a tree. Knifes were embedded around his face, mere hairs away from permanently scarring his flawless skin. Evidently Slade had been toying with _her _catch.

There he was. Sharpening his knife.

"Slade...how long was I out…"

"Three hours."

It certainly explained the feeble daylight beginning to seep through the inky darkness of the night.

Slade continued, "Now, Raven, there's something I need to speak to you about."

"Wasting bullets?"

"Not this time."

"Ruining your knives?"

Slade raised an eyebrow. "You ruined another one?"

"So it's about knives."

"No. We both know. You had a slight problem last night. Let me rephrase that. You ruined it, Raven. You ruined me. I made a mistake by taking you in. And now I'm going to fix that error. I want you gone. Now. You have five minutes. If I ever see you again...I will remember this."

Raven's eyes filled with tears...then quickly emptied. "Fine," she spat. "And I'LL be keeping the prize."

She marched towards Robin, who was now wide awake and trying to free himself of his bonds. A boomerang whirled towards Raven, slicing through the edge of her cloak. It was marked with a letter S. Slade.

"What's wrong, Slade? Don't want me stealing your toys?"

Slade cracked his neck. Raven narrowed her eyes, cheekbones sharply outlined in the morning light. "I see how it is," Raven continued. "And I'm fine with it."

The two ran towards each other, both unarmed. An unspoken agreement. Raven stopped short, allowing Slade to approach further. Right before he impacted, she jumped up. Slade had anticipated her move.

"I taught you EVERYTHING you know, little girl," he hissed. Raven didn't stand a chance. Or so he thought.

"I've learned a little something in the real world," Raven returned, referencing her recent experiences as a mercenary.

Slade kicked at her in midair, but Raven grabbed his foot, slamming him onto the ground. Before Slade could react, she lunged for Robin, dagger in hand. With one swift movement, the ropes dropped to the ground, and Raven and Robin disappeared in a swirl of darkness.

Slade's face twisted. "One day, the little bird will regret every flying away."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Why...why did you...save me?" Robin grunted, propping himself up on one elbow. He and Raven were alone in a dark alleyway.

Raven flicked away an alley-cat. It appeared unkempt, toughened, and very, very angry. _You and me both, eh?_

"Out of the kindness of my heart," Raven drawled.

"Sure. Because we all know you're just that great of a person."

"Fine. Because Slade doesn't deserve to get you. I've been through too much for him to just take away everything I've worked for."

"These abs?" Robin smirked, patting his flat stomach.

Raven blushed under her helmet, sputtering. "What...no. Revenge, idiot!"

She smacked Robin, sending him crashing to the floor. "And one get-away-with-a-crime card."

Robin glanced up at the mercenary. "Why not a lifetime membership?"

"You're too much fun," Raven smirked, whirling her blue cloak. She disappeared into the shadows. When Robin crept forward, inching his hand into the darkness, the only thing there was the cold, stale air. Raven was gone.

But back there, Raven had definitely been on his side. For just a few moments, granted, but they had been...allies. Perhaps there was a possibility he could make it last. Robin sank into thought. _Can it be? Raven the Ruthless has a spark of good?_

He glanced at the alley cat that was now spitting at him. "Probably a zero percent chance. But that's better than I anticipated."

And there was a part of him that might, just might, be yearning to get to know Raven. His worst enemy. The most interesting thing in his life right now. There was more to her than her rough-and-tough exterior, and Robin could see it. He just had to witness her real self in action. And he would.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**Done! K, byeeee!**

**Follow, fav, review, all that. Thanks for reading, guys!**


	5. Puzzle Pieces

**Starting this chapter on Labor Day. Since I'm not doing actual work. Anyways, here you go. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited, it means a lot, guys! And yes. Uterus punch.**

**Cy is introduced here. Kind of a transition chapter.**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven was speechless. It was her first time filling out a job application, and she had no prior career experience. And really, who would hire someone with "Trigon the Inter-Dimensional Evil Demon" as a father? She bit her lip.

"Education?" she muttered to herself. She'd had access to state-of-the-art education, and was probably better educated than many college graduates. But had she ever attended a real school? No. Instead, Raven scribbled down her answer.

As she wrote, she mouthed, "Mr...Wilson's...Academy of Total B.S."

Considering the fact that she was applying to be a waitress in one of the most run-down Jump City cafes, Raven doubted anyone would check to make sure the Academy of B.S. was real.

In her civilian clothes, Raven knocked on the door to a sketchy-looking hotel. A sketchy-looking man stood at the front desk, a sunken, yellow eye the only visible thing beneath the shadow of his tall, ancient hat.

Raven glanced around her. _Shangri-La Hotel. _She almost laughed, observing the flickering, dusty chandeliers and horrifying insect infestation.

"Just one night," she clarified, checking her wallet. She only had enough for one night, considering the fact that she would also need to purchase food. After all, Slade immediately confiscated her much-deserved reward from Brother Blood the moment she received it.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Brushing off her stained apron, Raven patted her violet hair, checking that every strand appeared impeccable. It was important to stay classy. Even if you weren't in a very classy place. Raising an eyebrow at the company she would be keeping, Raven slipped up behind the counter.

A short, stocky man in a trench coat burst in, a cigar hanging out of his mouth. Raven launched into her speech in a monotone.

"Hello, sir. Welcome to Fluffy Bunny Cafe, what would you like today?"

"Just the usual," the man mumbled, lighting his cigar. Raven rolled her eyes.

"You must be mistaking me for someone else," she laughed, forcing the annoyance out of her voice.

"You ain't Toni?" the man replied, still keeping his eyes trained on his cigar.

Raven narrowed her eyes. "The name's Rachel, pal. Read. The. Name. Tag."

The man spun around. His beady eyes were slitted with anger. "Hey, Little Miss Sassy-Bitch, do I need a word with your manager."

"...no."

"Then get me my coffee. Black, in case you forgot, Toni."

In exasperation, Raven began, "It's Rach-" She stopped herself just in time.

"It'll be right out."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Confused, the Boy Wonder limped around his penthouse. The white curtains billowed pleasantly behind him. Water bubbled pleasantly in a pot on the spotless black stove. Everything was at peace. Except for Robin's mind.

A mix of emotions was completely overwhelming Dick Grayson. Intertwined with many new questions waiting to be answered, the emotions felt like snakes writhing around in his head. First, Raven wanted him dead. Then, she saved him, supposedly only out of spite for Slade. But was there more to it? Did Raven really hate him? Was she truly a bad person? Where was she now?

Robin slammed his fist on the table, eyebrows in a sharp V. "If I want answers, I guess I'll just have to look for Raven."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The next day, Robin checked his cloak. Just as he thought. Fingerprints from Raven's little tussle with him. He scanned one. The computer checked databases throughout the world for clues, finally landing on a match.

Robin almost fell out of his chair. "Her?" he exclaimed.

He proceeded to scan through the hundreds of job applications recently filled out by hundreds of people. There. Rachel Roth. The Fluffy Bunny Cafe.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven was pretty used to her customers' verbal abuse. It had been about three weeks now, and she'd managed to secure the hotel room for an extended period of time. Not that it was much better than just moving out onto the streets.

That morning, the sun shone brightly. Birds fluttered across the sapphire-blue, cloudless sky. It was so beautiful.

"So spiteful," Raven spat, eyeing her dingy conditions.

Someone short walked in, wearing a trench coat and pinstriped hat. He looked young.

"Hey little kid, you lost?"

The person pulled off his hat. "I've been looking for you."

"You," Raven gasped.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Wait!" Robin shouted, chasing after the fleeing, purple-haired girl. She reached into her apron, pulling out a long, slender knife. Figures.

She hurled it at him, slashing his arm. Robin cursed, throwing a bird-a-rang filled with anesthetic gas. Raven backflipped, intercepting it with another small knife. She quickly darted away from the scene, but Robin was not so lucky.

"I should've known it would backfire," Robin moaned, slumping to the ground.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The purple-haired girl panted, utilizing every available lock in her room. _How did he find me? How does he know my real name?_

She facepalmed. Fingerprints. Of course. Such a cliche. Such a classic mistake. Such an easy mistake, too.

Raven slumped to the ground, her face in her hands. Now, she was surely out of a job. All thanks to the Boy Blunder. And the fact that she was actually a wanted criminal. Perhaps she could find another contract. But she'd have to find one fast.

The girl eyed her quickly shrinking wallet. _Very, very fast._

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Brother Blood slowly lowered the binoculars. No crime in sight. He sighed, snapping his fingers. "Cyborg, you get to play bait tonight."

"Yes, sir," a voice replied. Cyborg stepped into the light, a literal cyborg. He was half-human, half-machine, and what many people would call a monstrosity. So naturally, he had harbored a lot of resentment. Bitterness. Anger. Hatred. At other people, too, but mostly directed towards himself. So when Brother Blood found the young, pre-teen runaway, Cyborg accepted the offer out of desperation for food and shelter. Not to mention the company of others like him. The others were strange. They weren't cyborgs, but they were also...different.

Cyborg's red, robotic eye was trained on Brother Blood, who receded slowly into the shadows. Cyborg took a deep breath, then began firing sonic blasts from the top of the building. He clambered down the steel scaffolding, landing with a crunch on the sidewalk.

"Bird Boy! Come out so Cyborg can snap your wings!"

The response was immediate. Not immediately noticeable, but immediate. Robin dropped down from the sky, bo-staff in hand. He rose from one knee.

"Alright, Scrap Metal. You've got my attention."

Cyborg frowned at the name, raising his sonic cannon to fire at Robin. A swift bird-a-rang intercepted the blast in mid-air, resulting in a violent explosion. The metal man was knocked to the ground. A heavy, steel-toed boot landed on Cyborg's chest.

"Why are you here?"

Suddenly, Cyborg reached up, grabbing Robin's boots. "A distraction."

With Robin effectively trapped, Brother Blood darted out, snatching the Endonomicon from his utility belt. Robin growled, pulling his feet out of Cyborg's iron grip. He vaulted off a streetlight, chasing after the man, but the cloaked villain rounded a corner, disappearing into the darkness.

"Where could he have gone?" Robin pondered. Suddenly, a pair of bright lights emerged from the thick, swirling darkness. Robin's eyes widened.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven's room was shaken by the blast. She peered out the window, noting the signature spiky hair of the Boy Wonder himself. Clearly, there was trouble in her part of town. She stuffed her belongings into a suitcase.

"Chance of a sonic blast hitting the Shangri-La: 100%."

The mercenary grabbed the edge of the glass pane, shoving it upwards. She performed a front flip, landing on the sidewalk, titanium suitcase in tow. Raven began to sprint for dear life, just in time.

She was knocked to the ground by the explosion. The resulting impact caused a trickle of blood to leak from her forehead. Growling, she muttered, "Oh, now they've done it."

Dashing around the corner of a brick building, she ran right into a man.

"Move, you fucking-"

She stopped short.

"We meet again."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The cloaked man lowered his hood, revealing the graying, brownish hair. "Yes, my dear. We meet again. And unless you want to be Robin's consolation prize for losing me tonight, I suggest you get in the car."

Raven rolled her eyes. This guy was part of the reason she was practically broke. She slapped him, following it up with a kick in the area where no light shines. Brother Blood stood, impassively. He caught her next fist, twisting her onto the ground. He held a knife to her throat.

"You may want to rethink my offer," he breathed.

"...what car?"

Brother Blood tapped a button, revealing a sleek, red vehicle with glaring headlights.

She shrugged, "Not like I have much choice."

_It's just until I get my mercenary career started again. If I go with him, maybe Blood will even give me another shot._

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The evil man almost cackled. Almost. Now that he had both Raven and the Endonomicon, the puzzle pieces were finally falling into place. He floored the pedal, the car speeding straight for Robin.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Robin grunted, barely dodging the oncoming red vehicle. He fired his grappling hook of the fleeing automobile. Leaping through the air, Robin landed on the trunk of the car. Instantly, the vehicle began speeding up, hurtling around sharp corners. Gritting his teeth, Robin forced himself to the sunroof. Before he could smash it open, Raven burst out, helmet on.

Through the metallic speakers of her helmet, Raven hissed, "I guess we met sooner rather than later. A chance for me to kill you."

"What do you have against me?"

"You ruined my career. My life," Raven murmured, disturbingly calm. With lightning speed, her foot lashed out, making Robin lose his balance.

Robin was suddenly all too aware of the fact that they were now speeding along the edge of a winding mountain road. And he was dangling over the edge of the railing. The car began edging closer to the rail. Robin's head prepared for impact.

With all his willpower, Robin reached up, grabbing Raven's hands. He pulled himself up.

"Round two."

Raven narrowed her eyes, allowing Robin to snare her with his bolas. She inched one hand free, reaching subtlely for something. Robin calmly crouched down next to her.

He prepared to say something. Raven's weak, innocent eyes suddenly hardened again with a new sort of malice. She drew her handgun, squeezing out three shots. One in the stomach. One in the hand. One in the leg.

Robin crumpled. From his hand, a bo-staff dropped, tumbling into the canyon below. Weakly, Robin raised a gloved hand for mercy.

"Raven...please…"

Glaring at the boy at her feet, Raven prepared her foot for a strong kick. Enough to finish the job that should have been done ages ago.

"Nighty-night, bird boy."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**OMG. Is Robin dead? Is he alive? Find out next chapter, I guess. Anyways, hope you like it. Don't worry, Cy returns. **

**Follow, fav, review, all dat. Thanks for reading this chapter, and byeeeee!**


	6. Betrayal

**Hey guys, sorry I've been so inactive. Thanks for following and favoriting and reviewing. I'm just glad for all the support you guys are giving. Hugs to all of you wonderful readers. I'm doing this on mobile, so hopefully it still turns out fine. **

**A little RobRae, a ton of dramatic crap that I spewed out at 2:54 A.M. so yayyyy!**

**Wish meh luck!**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

She leered at Robin, perverse satisfaction scrawled all over her pale face. Still, Robin couldn't help himself. He firmly believed Raven was just another misguided soul. Another drifter, like he'd once been. Maybe Racen found the wrong boat. Joined up with the villains. But it was never too late to change.

"Nighty-night, bird boy," snarled Raven, grinning cruelly, her steel boot hovering over Robin's prone, outstretched form.

After a futile attempt to get to his knees, Robin felt Raven's boot digging into his stomach, a warning. "Please...Raven. Don't do...this."

"I'm done with pitying you," Raven hissed.

Robin shut his bright blue eyes. It certainly had been the good fight. A millisecond could hardly have elapsed before Brother Blood's voice crackled to life on Raven's com-link.

Coldly, he remarked, "Raven. I need Blunder Boy. He may still serve as a valuable pawn."

Raven narrowed her purple eyes, indecision reflected in her pupils. All she could see was Robin's helpless body, ready to be disposed of. Her worst enemy, vanquished. She had to. The feelings scared her. They were dangerous. Interference to her true purpose. And they had to go. The only way to get rid of the feelings was to delete the source. But she was a mercenary. And like all jobs, being a mercenary meant listening to the boss. In this case, Blood.

"Only because I'm getting paid for this," Raven growled. She kicked Robin in the ribs, as if to force her point across.

"Was...that….necessary?" Robin wheezed, clutching his chest.

Raven raised an eyebrow, wiggling her boots.

"You know, you're right. Maybe you need two kicks."

"Raven."

Startled by the new voice, Raven glanced down to see Blood retracting the sunroof.

"Get in. I think you've successfully expressed your distaste to Robin."

Raven pursed her lips, shooting one last venomous glare at Robin. He was nowhere to be seen.

Brother Blood smirked. "I suppose I was incorrect. Maybe you need to go on a manhunt."

"It's all your fault he got away. Don't deny it, Blood. You let him get away to make me prove my worth to you. Again."

"Well, I have to make sure you still meet the job requirements after your last failure," Brother Blood simpered.

Raven's eyes blazed with black energy. "You'd better pay for this."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven backflipped off the roof of the car, firing her grappling hook in midair. It collided with the edge of a rocky cliff on the other side of the valley, sending a few rocks spiraling downward. Raven heard a small shout of shock. A male shout. Perfect.

As she landed, crouching, on the wild, untamed grass, Raven began to think. _Blood's idea of fun is just cruel. I'm a murdering psychopath. I have no love for Robin. And yet, this is the ultimate shame. He deserved an honorable death on the car, fighting me, like equals. This is more of a predator versus prey scenario._

Raven heard footsteps ahead of her. And stifled moaning, undoubtedly the result of a broken rib.

_Well, at least this ends with Robin's death._

She began to sprint, blue cloak billowing behind her. She launched into the trees, gracefully swinging into the crown of a massive redwood. Peering through binoculars, she caught sight of the edge of a dark cape and spiky ebony hair. Target acquired.

Raven leaped down with almost unnatural agility. Her boots pounded against the small pebbles and rocky dirt.

"You can't hide forever," she grinned, stepping out into a clearing with only an abandoned log cabin. A figure stopped suddenly, petrified, on the creaky wooden steps.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Robin gulped. Without turning around, he sidled, ever so slightly, to the left, hoping to reach a stack of crates. To take cover before-

A flurry of bullets spiraled through the air, all aimed at Robin. One passed through the flesh on his ankle, lightly grazing the bone. He winced, diving for the crates. Ducking down, he almost passed out as a bullet passed through the crates, right next to his ear.

"Dammit, Bird Bitch! Why couldn't you pick a better time?"

Raven frowned. Still alive. "Hey, not my fault. Blood's idea."

"Really."

"Whether or not you believe me, the odds are still stacked against you, a hundred to one."

Raven's footsteps crunched, almost inaudibly, as she stalked towards Robin, a grenade launcher in one hand and a shotgun in the other.

Robin smirked. From the shadow of the crates, he called, "Surprised you haven't figured it out by now! I have a strange talent for completely disregarding the odds."

He threw a smoke grenade at his feet. Raven was prepared. She dropped her shotgun and flung a fatally sharp, tiny knife, through the air, all in the time it took to blink.

Robin yelped as the knife stabbed through part of the wire, tearing it slightly. He sighed with relief.

"Wayne-Tech, Raven. Thanks for the knife."

Robin pocketed the knife. Better than nothing.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The pale mercenary shrugged nonchalantly. "Slowed him down," she muttered.

Running at breakneck speed, she hurdled over branches and busted through thickets of bramble. She could practically feel his presence.

Raven saw him stop. _Idiot._

Robin feigned exhaustion, clutching at his broken rib. But Bruce. Ehh...Batman. Batman's expert mentoring taught him to overcome the pain of such injuries.

The rifle poked, ever so slightly, through the bushes. Robin's head whirled to face it, and with expert aim, he tossed his stolen knife at the bullet. It exploded, only inches away from Raven's weapon. Raven's eyes widened. Deciding she had no choice, Raven summoned a shield of dark energy.

"That. Was. CUSTOM MADE!" she bellowed.

"Damn, how'd you survive?"

Raven's lips curled upwards. She could already imagine how uncomfortable her comment would make Robin. "Because I'm strong _and _sexy, Birdie. Shouldn't you know that by now?"

Robin's face colored. He shook his head, realizing now was his chance to escape, maybe form a plan. Without another word, he fled through the woods, his mind still consumed with embarrassment. He still couldn't believe Raven just said...that. And that he partially agreed with-

_No. No, Robin. Bad._

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven fired a shot into the sky. Her way of saying that she hadn't let Robin get away. Not just yet.

As Robin glanced through the mouth of the cave, he caught sight of the puff of smoke in the sky. "Yes, Rae. I get the point. But when you come, I'll be prepared."

Flicking on his ultra-bright flashlight, built for use deep underwater, Robin quickly gathered some dry logs. He dug around in his tool belt, finally finding a knife.

"Why can't I find these things while facing Raven?" he muttered.

He set about carving the logs into spears, then setting up traps using the remaining gadgets in his tool belt. Raven was in for a surprise. And if she came for him, he wouldn't give up without a hell of a fight.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The next morning, Raven floated into a lotus position. Her eyes glowed brilliant ivory as her soul self burst out, searching through the surrounding countryside. The raven finally found its target.

"A cave? Wow, so original," Raven muttered. Now that she'd let her powers out, there was no point in hiding them, even if it had kind of become a habit to use weapons. She hurtled through the air, like one of the bullets she had become so fond of.

Raven landed at the mouth of the cave, which was surprisingly big. "I'm almost impressed."

She dug around in her boot. A little something designed by Slade. Kinda useful .The spray traveled through the air, revealing the network of lasers set up by Robin. A makeshift fortress to help him survive her attack. Ah, he was so naive.

Raven turned, brushing off the front of her leotard, so that her back was to the lasers. With a smooth motion, she launched into a backflip, twisting in midair to avoid the first three lasers. She landed in a low lunge, her fingertips barely brushing the ground. An instant later, she somersaulted through the air, evading the next clot of lasers. Five lasers remained. Raven slithered under, then over, then under, and over again. The last laser. The space between the final two was too narrow for her to stand up. And the height difference in them was just enough for her to stretch out from a crouch. So Raven took the only possible option. She slid under the lasers, wincing as her cape gathered dust.

"And it was custom-made, too," she whined, picking at her precious cloak. "Bird Boy...you. Will. Pay."

Raven set off at a run. A glint caught her eye. Something pinged inside her brain. More traps. Duh.

"Oh, you're so predictable, Robin," Raven sighed, leaping over the hidden trip wire, meant to snare her in an electric net.

Suddenly, a spear spiraled through the air, pinning her cape to the wall. The wooden weapon was lodged in solid stone, right next to her ear.

Robin stepped out of the shadows. "Still predictable?"

Raven snarled, ripping free of her ruined blue cloak. "I gotta say, Bird Boy. I'm flattered that you went through all the trouble to do this all for me."

As Robin blushed, Raven made her move. She launched forward, kicking him back with her boots. Robin collided with the cold, unforgiving stone walls. Robin drove her back with a spinning kick, followed by a few punches, all of which she dodged. Raven swept her foot out.

Robin jumped. _And she says I'm the predictable one. _He whipped around...to see nothing. Suddenly, Raven pushed herself off the shadowy cave wall, heel pointed at Robin's nerve cluster. He reached out, instinctively, grabbing her foot, He slammed her to the ground, then pinned her with his elbow. Robin pressed the end of his bo staff to her neck.

Raven melted into darkness.

"Oh, come on. That's not even fair!"

In a flash of dark magic, Raven appeared in front of Robin, one pale, slender finger curling under his chin. "Calm your tits, Grayson. You still get a prize. From me."

With one slow, sultry movement, Raven peeled the domino mask off Robin's eyes, unveiling his brilliant, icy blue eyes.

"Now that is too far! You know the rules. Even if you know their secret identity, you don't purposely ruin it!" Robin was still in shock that Raven would actually use her opponent's secret identity as a distraction. Scandalous!

"Oh, relax," Raven whispered, her finger traveling down Robin's chest. "I don't think it would hurt to get to know each other."

With sudden fierceness, Raven pulled Robin into a passionate kiss. Robin knew it was wrong.

_It's all part of her scheme. Distract me, then do with me what she will. Most likely kill me._

Felt it was wrong. Knew he needed to stop it. To stop the kiss. He knew it was Raven's distraction. If he knew the slightest thing about her, Robin, even if he wasn't the apprentice of the World's Greatest Detective, would know that Raven was planning to poison him. To better bask in the glory of killing.

But in that instant, it felt like his mind was melting away. All he managed was to fumble some antidote into a needle. Heat flooded his entire body, as if Raven's lips had lit him on fire.

Raven pulled back. Robin crumpled to the ground. His legs felt like jelly, and he couldn't even force himself into a crouching position. So he sat, still dumbly touching his lips.

"Works every time," Raven beamed innocently. She blew a dart at Robin. The effects of the poison took over immediately. As Robin toppled backwards, he subtly injected the antidote. The effects of that were also immediate. When he woke up, he would have finally, finally, infiltrated Brother Blood's headquarters. And when he cut Raven off from her money source, he could put a stop to her once and for all.

Raven pulled Robin into a body bag. "Evidence for Blood. In case he," Raven began, making air quotes with her fingers, " 'needs evidence' that I am worthy of his cash."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Brother Blood ripped open the black fabric. Robin's pale face was expressionless, aside from his slightly frowning lips. The hero's chest was not rising, nor falling. He felt around for a heartbeat. Nothing.

Turning to Raven, he smiled. 'As promised, a reward."

Raven glanced around, searching for the appearance of a safe full of cash, or a crate of jewels, or new equipment at the very least.

Glancing down, she noticed lasers pointing at her heart. "You…double crossed...me?" she breathed, half angry, half disbelieving. She laughed, sounding choked. "Guess I should have known."

She shouted, and in that shout, she let out her pent up anger, resentment, guilt, and fear. So much fear. Her secret fears. The fear of rejection. Fear of completely losing herself in materialistic desires. And most recently, the fear of love. True, unbridled, dangerous love. Unpredictable, too.

As always, the strength of her powers depended on her emotions. And right now, her emotions were practically pouring out. As a result, her powers...well…

A dark orb flared out from Raven, sending Blood's armored soldiers flying off their feet. Blood had already picked himself off the floor. He motioned to Raven to come at him. So she did, fist extended, lips spread in a soundless roar.

Blood's pale fingers shot up, catching Raven's fist a millisecond before it connected with his face. Face cruelly twisted, he forced Raven's arm down with surprising strength. In a swift movement, he injected Raven with...something green.

Raven suddenly dropped to the ground, writhing in pain. It felt like her insides were being rinsed out with bleach. Then her body was thrown into a bonfire. Then sliced from the inside by razor sharp swords. And so the list of tortures went on.

Blood clutched an empty vial. "My very own brand of very-powerful, very-painful power suppressant. A real beauty. The black market's going to go crazy for this."

On the ground, an unconscious Raven twitched erratically, shivering.

"We have the final component. Put her in a cage. Feed in power-suppressant fumes every 10 minutes. I'll signal when I need her."

Brother Blood swept out of the room in a whirl of his blood-red cape.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven's vision blurred with pain. Red blots appeared at the edges of her vision. She found herself in a familiar place.

_Azarath. The scene of what was supposed to be a great event to showcase Azar's success in transforming the wild, untamable demoness child of Trigon into a harmless, peaceful drone concerned only with, well...peace. So, to a certain degree, it was to show how Raven was just another Azarathian. That she could fit in._

Raven curled up as a sharp pain stabbed at her gut. She groaned, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"Make...make it stop."

_More hallucinations. Young, innocent Raven., her face contorted with concentration._

Raven shut her eyes, imaginary needles poking at every inch of her. She could practically taste the cold pain now rocketing through her body.

"Aaaaa…."

_The glass ball. Shards. Beautifully sharp. Crimson blossoms everywhere. The fact remained that Raven's innocence contrasted so very sharply with her deadly sin. Her first. The first of many._

"No..n-no." Raven gagged on pure air, clutching at her neck. Her breaths became short and jerky.

_In an eerie way, Azar and Arella chorused, "My sweet Raven. What have you done?"_

_Then their beautiful, concerned faces faded into a swirl of darkness, and out of the darkness rose four red, slitted eyes. The surroundings melted away into a wasteland._

Raven screamed. She was tormented by such nightmares on a regular basis, but they never ended with...Trigon. She tried so hard to forget him, and ended up anyways on the side of evil. But she'd never have a say in the matter. Still, no matter how much she would sin, Raven knew, promised herself, she could never..._would never..._be Trigon's daughter. His gem.

She gritted her teeth. Her determination faded, replaced by grief. The grief that came with the guilt. The guilt that came from the knowledge of what she would have to be.

As the throbbing gave way to the delightful oblivion of unconsciousness, Raven choked, "No...never...I'll...n-never be-"

The guards filed in, quickly lifting the mercenary off the ground and marching her out the huge doors.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Robin, who had made his great escape during Raven's little tantrum, was completely forgotten by Brother Blood. So now, here he sat, huddled in Blood's ventilation system. Hardly ideal circumstances. But through a thin grille, he was watching the whole thing unfold. Raven's pain. Brother Blood's maniacal, psychopathic grin. And he'd heard everything.

Raven screamed below him. Robin swallowed hard. He couldn't even begin to imagine what could crack that woman's shell. To him, she seemed unbreakable. But clearly, she, like everything else, had a weak spot. She could be broken.

"Aaa...no...no, n-no!"

The hero in the vents struggled to make up his mind. Save his would-be killer and be a real hero, or procrastinate and wait for them to make it easier for him by restraining Raven while he took them out? It really was a tough decision, what with the Bat-family moral code telling him Raven still needed saving, and he was a superhero.

"What machine?" Robin wondered. He forced his face to the thin slots again, just in time to see Raven being dragged away by eight of Blood's minions. A pang of guilt. He pushed it away.

No. He hated Raven. He hated her. Hate. Hate. Hate. She was a villain.

_Why can't I hate her?_ Robin brooded. He knew why. He pitied her. Admired her, too. Knew there was some part of her that was still good. And not just a little bit good. It was pure good. But she'd buried it, long ago, because people told her to. She just had to be brave again and let it back out, acknowledge its existence as part of her.

"And no matter what she may have done to me," Robin announced, "nobody deserves to be an ingredient in Blood's twisted scheme. Not even her. Especially...not her."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**So...how do you like it so far? Just tell me EVERYTHING in the reviews. I love hearing what you guys think, and hope that wasn't a super late update. Anyways, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to all my followers, and favoriters, and reviewers. I wuvv u 3**

**Now it's time for some RobRae teamwork and get-to-know-each-other and some self-doubt. yassss. AND WHAT IS BROTHER BLOOD'S PLAN? Honestly...idk yet. But it involves the Endonomicon and Raven.**


	7. The Raven-Cave

**Hey, sorry about that massive break, it's almost Thanksgiving break though so THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT. Anyways, here you go, it's not top notch as I still have several tests tomorrow, but...I tried. Once again, kinda an AU. (the bit about failing at summoning Trigon is really fast, as he is still going to come, as planned, for the first time when the team is all together- so not yet)**

**RobRae fluff at the end of the chapter. I tried. But RobRae is always cute, so it's probably fine.**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven could safely say she was familiar with pain. In fact, she was an expert at pain. Causing pain, feeling pain, enduring pain, all that good stuff. But nothing she'd been through could have prepared her for Blood's torture. It was cruel, precise, and absolutely insane.

_As Slade once said, a man's actions reflect his nature. _

Magic was a part of her. Her magic was part of her soul, the other being her human side. And lately, the scary thing was that she felt her humanity had been slipping away. Even scarier was the fact that she only felt it returning when she was around Robin. Truthfully, that was the reason she was so determined to murder Bird Boy. Raven wasn't sure how she could even think through the haze of pain she was in.

From the complete lack of feeling in her limbs, she guessed Blood was draining the magic from her spirit. _It won't work...hopefully. And WHY does he need my magic, specifically?_

Raven had a pretty good idea why, but just in case, she looked around at her surroundings.

She was chained to a crumbling pillar in front of an altar. Through the red dots obscuring her vision, she noted a cobwebbed room with dim, flickering green torches and moldy wooden pews. Most noticeable were the grotesque carvings of demons kneeling at the feet of the greatest of them all...a familiar demon...Trigon.

_No...please...not yet. It can't be._

Around her, a chalked out pentagram was surrounded by flickering candles and hooded figures, all chanting the same thing. Her head throbbed, but through her daze of pain she translated a few things..._Scath, rise, _and _portal_.

_Mom! Azar! ROBIN! ANYONE!_

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Right on time, the Boy Wonder swept down into the room. Swiftly, he draped his cape around the mouth of one of the chanting figures, dragging him out to the side.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

One hooded figure returned to the circle. Apparently, none of the others had noticed. And off in a dark corner, a scrawny blonde man in only his boxers was slumped against a wall. Meanwhile, Robin felt his hands shaking under the unfamiliar cape. His mind racing, he tried to figure out a plan to save Raven and stop Brother Blood at the same time.

_Ah, fuck it._

Robin reached into his utility belt, then detonated a smoke grenade. He swept through the dust, punching demon worshipper after demon worshipper after demon worshipper. When the smoke cleared, he was the only one standing.

"That worked surprisingly well."

"To the contrary, my boy, now you deal with me," snarled a familiar voice.

Robin whipped around, face-to-face with Brother Blood. He lashed out, but with almost inhumanly fast reflexes, Blood caught his fist, slamming Robin to the wall. Robin narrowed his eyes. Executing a Bat-move, he ran up the wall, launching into a flip. He swung Blood around and smashed the little slimeball into a pillar. Dust billowed upwards.

Blood whipped out a tiny knife, the hilt inlaid with a blood-red ruby. Almost too fast to follow, he slashed Robin's cheek. Robin groaned. He felt his facial muscles freezing, and he could sense the paralysis spreading down to the rest of his body. His eyes swept across the room. That's right. He was here to get Raven, and that's exactly what he would do. Robin sprinted towards Raven, hoping he'd get there before he was completely paralyzed.

Robin dodged to the side, just in time for Brother Blood's dagger to completely miss him and to, instead, slash through the chains holding Raven down.

"Nice one, idiot," Robin managed, finally feeling himself freeze. _Come on, Rae. Now would be the time for you to return the favor and save me. Like, any time now!_

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Brother Blood's furious roar revived Raven. Her head snapped upwards. All around her the chanting figures were sprawled across the ground. She rubbed her wrists.

_Free. And wow,Trigon's nowhere to be seen. Thank heavens. Wait...I'm half-demon. So would I say, like…?"_

Blunder Boy's voice broke through her musings. He was paralyzed on the ground with Brother Blood's gleaming dagger hovering over his heart.

"That crazy asshole," she said, disbelievingly, but with a hint of affection.

In one swipe of her arm, a ball of black energy sent Brother Blood flying across the room.

"You hurt my friend? Guess you have to deal with me."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Blood did the smart thing. He turned, red cloak flapping wildly behind him. Raven was hot on his heels. He fumbled around for what he was looking for. There it was. Merlin's special brew, rediscovered from centuries ago by none other than Blood. Supposedly it could grant magical powers for short periods of time. Only one spell if it was powerful.

_You got one chance, Blood._

He gulped down the glowing red brew, then sank to his knees in spasms. Just as Raven hurtled around the corner, he stood up, whirled around, and launched a fiery green ball of death at the meddling demoness.

Raven's eyes widened. _How?_

She quickly conjured a wall of black energy, but didn't stick around to see if it would hold. Which ended up being a wise decision, as the crackling green ball only slowed slightly as it passed through the thin wall of darkness.

"Damn it, Merlin."

She reentered the room where Robin was still bleeding on the ground, then grabbed him, leaping to the side. Right on cue, the ball of fire smashed through the wall right above her head.

"That's our exit," mumbled Robin.

"Shut up, Bird Brains. Talking makes it worse."

Rae turned. Blood was long gone, his stronghold in ruins.

"Next time, Blood. Next time."

She transformed into a dark raven, then swooped off into the inky night.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Robin sat up abruptly, his forehead smacking into Raven's. The sudden impact knocked Raven off the hospital bed. Instantly, Robin felt terrible.

"Uh...sorry about that. Now, if you don't mind me asking, what is this place?"

Raven's eyes flickered murderously with dark energy. She levitated off the ground, folding her arms.

"Nice thank you, if you ask me. Not like I saved your life or anything. By the way...meet the Raven-cave. Been working on it for a while now."

Robin glanced around the dim, spacious area. Stalactites clung precariously to the high rock ceiling. The color theme seemed to be "dark, dark, and darker".

"Well, it's a good start, I suppose. I wonder where you got the inspiration for this."

Raven grinned. "Yeah, bet this is all really new to you."

Robin tried to grin, but his facial wound suddenly flared with pain, sending him crashing to the ground. Awkwardly, Raven reached out to help him up, but thought better of it at the last moment. Her dark energy surrounded him, levitating him back onto the hospital bed.

"So what was going on with...you being five inches away from me when I woke up?"

Glaring and blushing simultaneously, Raven answered, "Checking to see if that magical poison was still in your veins."

She lifted her pale hands, surrounding them with her dark magic. "You should be fine now. I flushed out most of it."

Robin turned white. "Flushed?"

"It means this." Raven placed her hands on Robin's chest. She could feel his heart beating...wildly? For her? In a flash, she retracted her arms, flailing off the bed.

"Well, something like that," she mustered. Assuming a haughty expression, she slipped on her helmet. "Feel free to look around, Dora the Explorer."

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Ah, you know. The usual."

Acting on impulse, Raven placed her icy hands on Robin's cheeks, then pulled him to her. Blue eyes met purple. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribcage.

Robin whispered, "So, you going to kiss me or what?"

"Always ruining the moment," she returned, pushing herself away. "Anyways, better leave. Time to go job hunting and maybe rob a few banks. All in a night's work."

"But now that I know the location of your little lair, I guess you'll need a new one."

Raven waved her hand nonchalantly. "One step ahead, bird boy. I'll give you ten seconds to scram."

Robin's eyes widened as the cave lit up, highlighting several bombs counting down around the cave.

The enchantress slipped his utility belt into his hand. "Guess you'd better get going, too."

"Probably," Robin grinned. He fired his grappling hook at the top of the cave, disappearing among the stalactites. Finally, he found the opening he was searching for, then clambered out into...a desert? _Wow, Raven. Thanks for stranding a cripple in the middle of nowhere. Really appreciate it._

A purple cloak swished behind him. "You're welcome."

And in a flash of darkness, Raven disappeared.

"Until next time, then, Bird Bitch," Robin smiled.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**YASSS DONE! Okay, so next chapter I'm thinking of introducing another Teen Titan, but just as a temporary partner for either Rae or Robin. Give me your thoughts in the reviews. **

**Hope you enjoyed it, and as always, feel free to review, favorite, and follow. I didn't revise this chapter, but I hope I didn't make too many mistakes. Going to try to update my other stories tonight. Don't think I'll make it, but DON'T STOP BELIEEEVING!**

**Oh, and don't worry. The kiss is coming. All in good time.**

**Bye!**


	8. The Raven Descends Upon Tokyo

**Thanks for all the support, especially from my two reviewers, specifically la canelle, for her (assuming it's a her) advice on teaming up. I used the ideas in this chapter. YASS FOR SPEEDY TEAMING UP WITH ROBIN AND TEAM X AND RAVEN. By the way, this is a Trouble in Tokyo sort of chapter, so it's pretty long, and it should probably be two chapters, but I didn't dare split it. I just wanted to type, chu get ma feel?**

**Actually, this is one of my favorite chapters that I've typed. It came from one of those insane late-night ideas, so...**

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"Aperi."

The bartender stopped wiping shot glasses. He looked up, the scar running down his right cheek bathed in the light, eyeing the willowy teenage girl in front of him. Her blue eyes glinted rather suspiciously. Almost too quietly to hear, he muttered, "State your business with my...client."

"Looking for a partnership. Tell him it's worth his time."

Still unconvinced, the man leaned back, raising an eyebrow. He appraised the girl uncertainly, then sighed. The bartender turned, quietly lifting a bottle of liquor. A small metal trapdoor slid open behind the bar.

The brunette girl grinned. She wound her way around the bar, then dropped straight through the trapdoor.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"The name's X. Red X," rasped a metallic voice.

The girl glanced upward, unfazed. Sure enough, there he was, clinging, spider-like, to the dusty rafters in the secret chamber under the bar. She still couldn't believe he'd decided to set up headquarters in the basement of The Snorting Wombat. Why. Just...why. Honestly, if her employer hadn't personally contacted her about partnering up with X, she would've just gone and finished the assignment. Alone. A lot faster. With all the cash to herself.

"_Considering your previous failures to face a certain...obstacle, I needed insurance."_

_Raven sighed dramatically. "Bird Boy's not going to be an issue. I got bigger guns, he's got less lifespan."_

"_As I said...insurance. You'll find X isn't half bad. He might teach you a few things."_

_Raven bristled, then stalked out of the room. Oh well. Fifty million was pretty good, even if it meant teaming up._

She removed her contacts, violet orbs returning to the ceiling. Gone. Raven sighed, taking off her wig. Her eyes flickered around the room.

"X, I don't have time for games. I was sent by a man named Uehara Daizo. Says he knows you."

The boy in the black jumpsuit appeared out of nowhere...literally. The red X on his chest glinted maliciously. "Tell me."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

She took a cautious sip of her soda. Ice cold. _Just like my soul, _Raven thought dryly.

"Hey, cutie, whatcha thinking about?"

"Nothing, X. How are those peanuts?"

Red X glanced down at the countless empty bags of airplane peanuts littering his table. "Hey, I have a weird airplane peanut addiction, don't judge."

Turning the attention back to Raven, he whispered, "You really don't look good as a blonde."

Raven touched her blonde wig self-consciously. "Not taking fashion advice from a guy in a black jumpsuit with a skull mask. With red X's. You know what, I'm not taking any advice from a guy with such a CREATIVE name as Red X."

As X opened his mouth to retort, the flight attendant's cheery voice bubbled over the speakers in Japanese. Raven and Red X translated at the same time. "Good evening, passengers. We will touch down in Tokyo in approximately 30 minutes. The seatbelt sign will remain on for the rest of the flight. We hope you had a safe flight with Air Japan, and we hope to see you again. Thank you."

Raven touched her knife. Cleverly developed by Daizo himself, it was designed to slip past metal detectors and scanners alike. Now that she thought about it, there wasn't a lot she knew about Daizo, except that he was willing to pay her money, and lots of it. Drug money, most likely, but still money.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Robin was seething. He couldn't believe it. Katsuo Makoto was really gone. Sure he hadn't seen the Japanese man in three years, but he was Bruce's friend as well as a high-ranking Tokyo official. The incident had set the Tokyo community on edge and sent mass panic spiraling over Japan. But there wasn't anyone who would have a grudge against him...right?

Apparently there were two someones. A pink cat girl named Nya-Nya and a boy calling himself Saico-Tek. _Murderers. Guess I'm taking a trip to Tokyo. So far as I know, there's no superheroes over in Tokyo._

Swiping some extra uniforms into his suitcase, Robin slammed open the door.

"Ow," someone whined. A redhead male.

"Roy? Roy Harper?"

The boy grinned. "Yeah, long time no see, Dick."

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Not out here."

When he'd dragged his visitor inside the penthouse, Robin took a deep breath, then shot Roy a Bat-glare.

"What are you doing here, Roy?"

"Oliver's out of town, and Bruce insisted he could watch both Gotham and Starling. I put up a fight, but...you know your old man. He said you could use some company."

"How did he find this address?" Robin snarled. "Wait...he's Bruce. Answered my own question. So, Roy, I was just about to go on a trip to Tokyo. And maybe you can…"

Robin was about to say _fuck off_, but then again...if he was facing two people...maybe…

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Dude, this is so cool," Roy whispered. "A private plane to Tokyo."

"To stop criminals," Dick whispered, dressed in his civilian attire.

"Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that, Dick."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Ugh, I can't believe he made me use the name Nya-Nya," spat Raven.

"At least you're not Saico-Tek," groaned Red X.

"What's even the point of this?"

Red X stopped twirling the pink-and-blue ninja star. He slipped off his similarly-toned mask to reveal his usual one. "You told me. Inspire mass panic as two criminals, don't ask me why, and then free Brushogun, then make it look like Daizo captured him. He gets the fame and glory, we get cash. Win-win situation."

"But why the disguise?"

"Dunno. Probably doesn't want people tailing us from across the Atlantic. For you, Bird Boy. For me...well...you don't even want to know. The likes of Joker, if you know him. We're...well acquainted."

"Ugh...of course I know Joker. Stealing the limelight from all the other criminals."

Red X finished the conversation. "Mercenaries don't need limelight. We prefer shadows."

Raven groaned, washing off her eyeliner. She slipped off the pink titanium nails, which had been carefully filed to a deadly point. Raven eyed the nails distrustfully, knowing just what they'd been laced with. Honestly, no matter how far Daizo got in the ranks of Tokyo law enforcement, deep inside...he was still an insecure little nobody. He just refused to admit it. _Remember...twenty-five million. Twenty-five million._

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Dick! Are you still getting ready? I thought the Bat trained you to put on that costume in three seconds flat! Dick?"

Roy smashed down the bathroom door. Figures. The window was open, white curtains swishing in the gentle wind. From somewhere in the distance, cars honked and neon lights flashed.

"Always travel with a partner in a foreign country, Dick," sighed Roy, slipping on his mask. He fired an arrow in the general direction Dick was going, the titanium cord trailing behind the projectile. Then...the satisfying noise of the cord being stretched taut. "Time to go."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven landed, catlike, behind the security guard. She extended her claw. Swipe. Done. Numbly, the guard glanced down at the fresh blood welling on his arm. In dazed Japanese, he mumbled, "What the-?"

"All clear," Raven hissed, her Japanese accent finally perfected. Her pink-and-blue partner leaped down. His fingers flew over the keyboard. A red sign flashed on the screen. He grinned beneath the mask.

"Systems override," he crowed.

Raven punched him, hard. "Shut up!"

"Right, right."

Something clanged above them. _That doesn't sound good. _Raven entered Red X's mind. _X, we need to get going. Now._

The two criminals headed towards the titanium doors. Red X primed an electric charge.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Red X turned, surprised. "Deactivating this door."

"Weren't you the one who just deactivated the whole system?"

The masked criminal shrugged sheepishly. "I knew that."

Raven reached out with her hand, preparing to magically peel the lock off the doors. She stopped herself just in time. _No magic. Don't give yourself away. _In two quick slashes, the entire lock split into quarters. Red X stepped in, and with one solid kick, dislodged both doors. No alarms. It seemed Red X had done his research. Pity. Now she had no excuse to punch him again.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Robin almost pissed himself. Almost. Speedy landed with a very conspicuous clang right next to him. Obviously training with the Arrow had had minimal impact on the budding archer's stealthiness. The masked hero carefully dropped out of the vent. All clear. The titanium doors had been kicked down, just as he'd suspected.

He burst into the chamber to find Nya-Nya and Saico-Tek freeing a wrinkly, gray…something from its titanium power-neutralizing handcuffs. "Stop! You don't even know what that is! You're endangering the entire nation of Japan!"

Nya-Nya turned. "Oh, we know that. But Brushogun is very, very important. To our client."

"Who might that be?"

The cat girl sneered, "Wouldn't you like to know, Bird Boy?"

Raven's face dropped behind her mask. _Shit._

Robin was famed for his perceptiveness, but it didn't take a genius to notice. Nya-Nya had just ruined her own disguise. In one swift move, he ripped the mask off of her face. Sure enough, it was…

"Raven? What are you doing here? Who are you working for?"

Raven didn't answer, her typical helmet absent. Without it, her regal face shone in the pale moonlight slanting through the thin windows. "Not your business. Now!"

At Raven's command, Red X slashed through the last handcuff. The metal dropped. Finally free, the gray figure, Brushogun, stretched his protruding limbs with relish. He dropped to his knees, pressing his fingers to the ground. From his fingertips, mysterious, inky shadows began rising. Brushogun screamed in agony, the ink seeming to seep from his soul.

"Ew," remarked Speedy, suddenly standing at Robin's side. Red X whirled to face him. Too late. Two red arrows flew towards him, pinning his wrists to the wall. Red X grunted in pain as blood leaked onto the sleeves of his costume.

Raven winced, but she had a job to do, even if X couldn't finish it with her. The window was open. Brushogun was gone. Perfect. She leaped out the window, chasing after the barely-human man. "Brushogun! Come out...I won't hurt you."

The figure slid out from the shadows, his jutting bones even more prominent in the moonlight. After all, the girl had saved him. He lifted his foot to go towards her.

One step.

Raven fingered the small weapon.

Two steps.

Pale gray fingers closed around the gun.

Three steps.

Brushogun was a mere five feet from her. Raven whipped out the pink gun, pulling the trigger mere milliseconds later. Instantly, Brushogun was trapped in a web of electricity. He screamed, thrashing and fighting, but the electricity sizzled stubbornly, reforming into a cage. Desperately, the man pressed his fingers to the ground. Nothing.

"No! No! You can't do this to me!"

Smoothly, Raven whispered, "I didn't. Commander Daizo did."

"Daizo? That fool is a Captain, not Commander."

Raven smirked. "Well...after this, he'll be Commander."

She pressed the small device onto Brushogun's forehead. Instantly, the villain's eyes rolled upwards, his memories recalibrating to suit a different version of reality. The version that Raven needed him to remember.

"All yours, Daizo."

A briefcase slid out from behind a dumpster. Raven popped open the lid. Beautiful. Twenty-five million USD. A fortune. Enough to buy some real firepower. A sudden arrow embedded itself between the soles of her feet.

Raven glanced up, shocked. Twenty feet away, Speedy was grinning, his arms crossed. "I'm afraid that's not appropriate airline luggage."

"Let's see if you have a nice flight back...in a coffin!"

Raven pulled out a strange-looking gun. Speedy nocked an arrow. The masked boy aimed the arrow carefully. Raven sighted along her arm. Speedy locked onto the target. Raven finally had the blaster aimed right where she wanted it.

They fired at the same time. The arrow exploded inches from Speedy, caught in the explosion. The redhead barely had time to cover his face. He was knocked to the ground, wincing as shrapnel rained down around him. A rain of bullets forced him to take cover.

Raven aimed, the tiny blue point flickering around above Speedy's heart. The plasma beam shot out, and only quick thinking on Speedy's part saved him. He twisted, the bullet carving a line on his biceps. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. This was not good.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

So why wasn't Robin helping Speedy? Well, there was still Saico-Tek to deal with. Somehow, the ninja had taken the mass panic as a chance to slip out of the metal pinning him to the wall.

Robin unleashed his bo-staff, the added range forcing Saico-Tek back. Saico-Tek lunged under the bo-staff, hoping to score a hit on Robin, but the Boy Wonder brought the staff down at the last second, pulling it tighter to choke the Japanese criminal.

"Saico-Tek. You're going to jail if it's the last- AAGH!"

The criminal ground down on Robin's foot with his heel, and the hero's three-second lapse in focus allowed him to grab the bo staff, twist under it, and snap it on his knee. Dramatically, he let the two halves fall to the ground.

In a very realistic Japanese accent, he said, "Hand-to-hand. Honor among thieves. No weapon."

Robin, enraged at even the slightest suggestion of being a thief, happily complied, sending his foot into Saico-Tek's face. The ninja groaned, but quickly retaliated with a succession of punches to Robin's sternum. He doubled over, somehow managing a backflip through his pain. Robin staggered over to something and attempted to push himself off it. He looked down in alarm.

"What the?" he breathed. The inky figures released by Brushogun finally began to take forms. One, a giant yellow robot. Another, a cheeky blue...something. And yet another, a hideous, shadowy wraith. But the last two creations were the most terrifying...and most familiar.

"Nya-Nya and...Saico-Tek? But that means you're ink?" Robin whirled to the first Saico-Tek. To his surprise, the man seemed just as surprised as he was. Robin narrowed his eyes. While Saico-Tek was distracted, Robin whipped off Saico-Tek's mask to find...another mask. _Wow, anticlimactic, much?_

Red X was frozen. How much of Daizo's plan did he and Raven not know about? So there really was a reason behind Saico-Tek and Nya-Nya? He plastered on his usual expression, refusing to let his confusion and fear show. Yes, fear. Red X and fear. Practically antonyms.

The ink creations began closing in on Robin. Red X faced the same situation. Before they knew it, the criminal and hero were back-to-back, two sides of the same coin. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin exchanged a glance with Red X, who understood immediately.

One…

They reached into their respective utility belts.

Two…

Robin pulled out a bird-a-rang, Red X an x-shaped boomerang. Go figure.

Three!

Perfectly in sync, the two boomerangs whirled towards the yellow robot. Instantly, its two arms dropped to the ground. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the robot. It barreled towards them, spiky teeth bared.

"Timoko...hungry," it rasped metallically.

"Sorry, this is all I have for ya, pal," Red X muttered. In one fluid motion, he sent an X flying right through the robot, Timoko's, heart. Almost pathetically, its eyes dulled, and the creation crumpled back into formless black ink.

"Look out!" Robin shouted.

Red X watched as a blue bolt flew towards him. He tried to move, but found his feet were rooted to the ground. He could only watch, helplessly, as the sapphire blue pulse came closer, closer…

Thinking fast, Robin grabbed a mirror out of his utility belt (useful for applying hair gel in high-pressure situations and deflecting energy bolts) and swung it towards the bolt. As he'd hoped, it reflected off the mirror and smashed back into the impish blue boy. The thing shook itself off, blue eyes blazing ever brighter.

Through their suits' built-in translators, Red X and Robin understood the boy perfectly. "You have made Mecha-Boi angry! Now you pay!"

Red X rolled his eyes. Lazily, he flung a tiny capsule towards Mecha-Boi, watching as it expanded into a huge, sticky X. As expected, the projectile flattened the boy, knocking him out. He turned to take out Scarface.

"Not this time. He's mine...um…" Robin found he couldn't place the name of the skull-faced criminal next to him. A criminal, but also an unlikely ally.

"X. Red X. And you must be Robin. Raven's told me a lot about you. I swear, she never shuts up."

Robin blushed. He thanked his lucky stars for the darkness in the room. He knew there was more to do, but..._Raven thinks about me. She TALKS about me. Why is that a big deal?_

A sudden thought struck Robin, knocking him out of his Raven-ponderings. "Nya-Nya and Saico-Tek! Where-?"

He and Red X glanced at the open EXIT door. Uh-oh. Heading towards their master. And if Brushogun really got loose…

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven had thought the fight rather refreshing. Sure, she'd taken an arrow in her arm, but a shot in the arm for a shot in the arm was pretty fair. Speedo, or whoever he was...well...that was a different story.

Speedy limped into a corner, panting heavily. He rolled up the leg of his costume slightly, wincing at the pain. That last bullet must have torn right through a muscle. Judging from the pain, it would be a pretty safe guess. He glanced around for some brief distraction, then…

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

Raven spewed his exact thoughts. Literally. His exact thoughts. "What the actual fuck?" she yelled, grunting as a pink cat girl's feet knocked her off her own.

The real Saico-Tek eyed Speedy mockingly. Speedy narrowed his eyes. Sure he was wounded, but he was still the apprentice of the Arrow himself. And the Arrow didn't give up without a fight. So neither would he. In a flash, he loosed an arrow at Saico-Tek. The ninja touched the arrow sticking out of his cheek...then looked at Speedy. Or...the spot where Speedy had been standing five seconds ago. The meddlesome archer was perched atop a building, loosing arrows at Saico-Tek. He dodged the arrows easily. Oh, the boy would have to do better.

Nya-Nya lunged at Raven, claws digging into her shoulders. Raven screamed, then flung the insane cat lady into a wall. She shook her head, trying to clear away the haze threatening to envelop her. Too late she remembered. If her disguise had been based off Nya-Nya, and her disguise had claws poisoned with curare…

_Ugh...if I could just...antidote…_

Raven collapsed, her hand inches away from the vial of antitoxin in her utility belt. Nya-Nya grinned sweetly. Victory at last. Her claws hovered over the unconscious demoness for the final stroke.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Raven!" Robin yelled, knocking Nya-Nya off the enchantress. He gently rolled the girl onto her back. Something caught his eye. Something about the precarious positioning of her hand. As if she'd been reaching for something. Something in her belt. He dug around in the belt for...aha! The cure to curare. He injected Raven with it, then carefully dragged her behind a dumpster. "Stay safe," he whispered.

With that, Robin launched back into the fray with Nya-Nya.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Raven stirred slightly as she felt herself being dragged along rough pavement. Through lidded eyes, she caught sight of Robin. She tried to say something, but her mouth seemed as sluggish as her mind. As he set her down, she seemed to catch something that sounded a little like, "Stay safe."

_Sweet. But nobody does the revenge part for me._

Staggering to her feet, Raven felt her demon blood adding to her body's fight against the curare. It would have to be enough for now. She whipped out a handgun. Nya-Nya and Robin were performing a complicated, twining, twisting series of moves. Suddenly, Nya-Nya swept her legs around Robin's neck, twisting, and with a flip, she sent Robin crashing to the pavement. He landed on his back with a satisfying crack.

Raven croaked, "Hey, Ghetto Catwoman...as much as I love seeing Blunder Bird suffer, he's mine for the killing, okay? Which means you have to go."

She raised her arm, firing off one, two, three shots. Crack. Crack. Crack. None of them missed. Nya-Nya glanced down at the three bullet holes in the middle of her chest. She managed a weak hiss before dissolving back into black ink.

"Dunno whether to thank you or be scared of you," Robin wheezed, still recovering from his fall.

Raven almost smiled. "Both."

They turned their attention to Speedy. Saico-Tek had now caught up to him, and Speedy was close to the edge of a nearby rooftop. He stepped closer...closer…

Shingles fell as Speedy scrambled to save himself from near death. He barely kept his footing. Saico-Tek took out a ninja star. The archer was cornered.

"Do it, then," Speedy mumbled, blood loss from his various Raven-wounds finally overcoming him. And Saico-Tek really would've thrown that fatal ninja star, if not for the sudden bubble of darkness closing around Speedy. It levitated the boy down to the safety of the ground, and as it descended, the Raven rose into the air.

Her eyes glowed brilliant ivory. Her blue cloak flared upwards, courtesy of her own personal wind. Raven felt tendrils of violet hair fan out to form a halo around her face. Raising her arms, she felt the storm brewing overhead. Raven shouted.

Twin bolts of lightning shot down from the high heavens, electrocuting the pink-and-blue ink ninja into oblivion. The dark clouds finally released their raindrops. Raven was thankful for the water, as it meant less ink cleanup for her.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"I still don't get it. Why would he want us to dress up as Nya-Nya and Saico-Tek?" mused Red X. Thoughtfully, he rolled the stem of the wine glass between his fingers.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Dumbass. Don't you get it? We inspire mass panic as Brushogun's minions, thus leading authorities to wonder if Brushogun's got something planned, then we free Brushogun, which convinces authorities they're right, and when we catch Brushogun and hand him over to Daizo-"

"-he gets fame and glory. So we were half-right earlier. Hey, at least he ended up giving me my twenty-five million. Not such a scumbag after all."

Raven's lip curled distastefully. Her black energy surrounded her wine glass. In a shower of shards, it exploded. She took a deep breathe, reining in her emotions.

"Something wrong, birdy?"

"Only the fact that I just completed a job for a completely immoral, insane, power-hungry Japanese guy who didn't even bother to tell me what his real plans were. I'm a little tired of people doing that to me."

Red X sighed. "Focus on the sunshine, Sunshine. We got our cash."

The dark sorceress narrowed her eyes. Sure, mercenaries were centered around money, but sometimes, she couldn't help but feel she was more than a mercenary. That she could be more human than killing machine, although she recognized just as ridiculous she sounded. Her, a half-demon, claiming to be more human than killer. Pah. And Red X was the Queen of England.

"Whatever, X. That's all you care about. Money. You didn't even think about how many people could have gotten hurt if we fucked up our mission. If Brushogun had escaped. If I'd just done my research."

She slammed her fist into her palm, angry at herself for letting Daizo manipulate her so flawlessly.

Red X raised his eyebrows. "Whoa, whoa. Don't be going hero on me."

Raven turned, one corner of her mouth lifted. "I wouldn't worry. I'd never."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"Captain Daizo, you know I am very busy right now. Brushogun's escape is setting the press on fire," snapped Commander Ryu.

Daizo smirked. "Sir, I have Brushogun, and he currently in a maximum security containment cell of my own design. Everything is under control."

Ryu blinked, astonished. "How…?"

"Sir, forgive my insolence, but I do feel sometimes I am not credited enough for my intelligence."

The tired commander slipped off his glasses. His eyesight got worse with the years. Ah, the pleasures of aging. He thought for a long moment, then picked up the telephone. After a long chat with the mayor, he turned back to Daizo. "Congratulations, Captain Uehara Daizo. As of this moment, I have resigned my post as Commander and turned the position over to you. Effective immediately and approved by the mayor. Keep doing good work for the city, son."

Commander Daizo grinned evilly, the shadows in the room flickering over his sharp features. "Oh, don't worry, Ryu. I will. I will always, always be doing _good work _for Tokyo."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**There you are. THAT FELT SO LONG AGSLGJLGJL. Okay, well, hope you enjoyed it, and once again, thank you so much to my reviewers for the ideas for this chapter and for all those who followed and favorited my story, you have no idea how much that means to me. I kinda wanted to split this chapter, but I was like...eh, whatever. So yeah. YASSS DONE.**


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